GUIUAN,
Eastern Samar, April 20 (PNA) - The first community evacuation center in
Eastern Visayas called “Sirungan (shelter) ha Guiuan” has formally opened for
families vulnerable to impacts of natural calamities.
The
multi-purpose evacuation center will not only provide safe shelter for 350
people during times of disasters, but can also be used as place for gathering,
seminars and skills and livelihood training.
The project
was built through a partnership by the International Organization for Migration
(IOM), United Nation Children’s Fund, Department of Social Welfare and
Development and the local government of Guiuan. Japanese television station,
Fuji TV, funded the construction of the center.
Meagan
Genat, IOM evacuation program manager and the one who designed the building
said that it could withstand category 5 typhoons and magnitude 8 earthquakes.
It took six months to come up with the building design.
Super
typhoon Yolanda that devastated the region on Nov. 8, 2013 made its first
landfall in this town. Its location facing the Pacific Ocean makes the town a
constant victims of typhoon landfall in the country.
The
building’s shape is octagonal, a much stronger design than the usual shape of
building in the country, and much cheaper than the cylindrical shape of
building that is more sturdy to disasters.
“It’s still
a very resilient shape. Its shape has both aerodynamic activities that can
mitigate the impact of the wind, but also has strong symmetry to mitigate the
seismic activity,” said Genat. “Its basic requirement is to be very resilient
to strong wind and seismic activity.”
Genat said
the project complied with the Philippine National Building Code.
Unicef
Philippines representative Lotta Sylwander described the evacuation center as a
new testament “to a new start and better prepared communities.”
“This
building is a testament of a new start and for better and safe communities was
you can prepare them for any calamities. This symbolizes the resilience of
Guiuan,” Sylwander said.
The official
added that they hoped for other local government units to replicate the
evacuation center project to ensure that studies of students would not be
interrupted after calamities.
Sylwander
noted that in most cases classrooms or schools in the country were used as
evacuation center during times of disasters and calamities that affected the
schooling of children.
IOM
Philippines Chief of Mission Marco Boasso said that the collective effort of
everyone was the key of the success in building the evacuation center.
“Today we
are here to recognize the strong partnership of the whole community, which led
to this multipurpose center. IOM Philippines is enormously proud of this DRR
preparedness at the local level supported by both national and local government
as well as their international partners,” said Boasso.
“I am very
pleased that we are behind this beautiful structure that has the capacity to
host people in the event of calamity especially children who are vulnerable
during times of catastrophe,” he added.
Mayor
Christopher Sheen Gonzalez said the project was a good example of public and
private partnership.
“Good
cooperation leads us to the successful implementation of this project that is
also useful during good times,” Gonzalez said.
RMA/SQM/Roel T Amazona
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